If you are looking to make the most addictive edible gift to make for the holidays, try this Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe. Also known as Hazelnut Butterball cookies or Snowball cookies, these melt in your mouth.
These Mexican Wedding Cookies are one of my favorites for many reasons. They look super cute and are perfect for the holiday season.
They are tiny and just the right size to pop into your mouth. This recipe yields quite a bit of cookies and that means it is perfect when making for a large crowd.
Making edible gifts for Holidays has been a tradition in our family ever since my boys were born. My blog is filled with cookie recipes as it is something I bake very often for us as well as for gifting.
I enjoy baking different cookies and packing them. Buying cute little cookie tins has become almost an obsession for me.
What Kind of Nuts to use
I first tried this Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe a few years ago, back in NY. This recipe is from my dear friend Marybeth and she had made this recipe with pecans and called the pecan butterball cookies.
I go back and forth and make these cookies with any available nuts. This year I made it with pecans. My neighbor has a Pecan farm and we buy fresh pecans from him this time of the year.
So, use any nuts of your choice but make sure that they are fresh. The cookies use quite a bit of nuts and get their flavor from them. We don't want stale-smelling or tasting cookies.
What other cookies are baking in my kitchen?
My family's favorite recipe that I made this year again was the Old fashioned Ginger cookies. My holiday baking cannot be complete without these ginger cookies as my little one loves them.
I also made some Orange Scented Cranberry walnut cookies. The house just smelled amazing after baking these cookies and screaming holidays.
If you are looking for some other cookie to bake with pecans, then this Pecan Shortbread Cookies is an absolute must. I also have a gluten-free Chocolate cookie recipe with pecans if you are looking for a gluten-free option.
These snowball cookies are so simple to make with just the basic ingredients. We need the flour, sugar, butter, and some nuts along with vanilla flavoring. You can use a stand mixer like I use or a hand mixer will work just fine.
This time of the year my Kitchen aid stand mixer works the most (only second to me though). I have it out constantly making batches and batches of cookie batter. This year we baked over 600 cookies and I might still have a batch or two to bake.
Preparation time – 15 mins
Cooking time – 25 mins per batch
Difficulty level – easy
Ingredients Needed
- Butter (Unsalted) – 1 cup (room temp)
- All Purpose flour – 2 cups
- Granulated Sugar - ⅔ cup (can use ½ cup if you prefer less sweeter cookies)
- Vanilla – 2 tsp
- Hazelnuts or pecans or walnuts – 1 ½ cups (finely chopped)
- Salt – ½ tsp
- Powdered sugar – for coating
Step-by-step process
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a couple of baking trays with parchment and keep aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, add the sugar and the butter.
- Cream them until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Now add the salt and the vanilla and mix them well.
- To the butter mixture, add the flour little by little and mix well until completely incorporated and forms dough.
- Now add the chopped nuts and mix them well.
- Make about half-inch balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake them for about 25 min or until slightly browned.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, roll them in powdered sugar and set aside in a cooling rack. Be extremely careful since the cookies would be really hot and very fragile. It is very important to roll them as soon as they come out of the oven to get the sugar to coat well.
- Once the cookies have cooled down entirely, roll them again, for the second time in the powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
- It is very important to use good quality, fresh nuts as the recipe uses quite a bit of them. The cookies take up a lot of flavor from the nuts and you want them to taste the best.
- Remove the butterball cookies from the oven as soon as they are light golden brown.
- Roll them in powdered sugar right after they come out of the oven. Using a spoon helps as the sugar melts quite a bit when handling with fingers.
- It is essential that we roll them again in powdered sugar once the cookies cool down entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Traditionally it is made with hazelnuts, but I have used all different nuts and also a mix of nuts to make these Butterballs. I love using pecans and walnuts.
Absolutely. You can make the dough and freeze it and then bake whenever you prefer. I also like to make tiny balls of cookie dough, freeze it on a tray, and then transfer it to freezer bags. This way it is much easier when it is time to bake.
These are also called the Russian tea cakes or the snowball cookies as well as butterball cookies
Yes, we can freeze the baked Mexican wedding cookies. But do not coat them with sugar. Coat them with powdered sugar just when it is time to serve.
More festive cookies
If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter
Recipe
Mexican Wedding Cookies | Hazelnut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Unsalted (room temp)
- 2 cups All Purpose flour
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar can use ½ cup if you prefer less sweeter cookies
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 ½ cups Pecan finely chopped (can use hazelnut or walnut as well)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Powdered sugar for coating (might need more or less)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line couple of baking trays with parchment and keep aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, add the sugar and the butter.
- Cream them until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Now add the salt and the vanilla and mix them well.
- To the butter mixture, add the flour little by little and mix well until completely incorporated and forms dough.
- Now add the chopped nuts and mix it well.
- Make about half inch balls and place them in the prepared cookies sheet.
- Bake them for about 25 min or until slightly browned.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, roll them in powdered sugar and set aside in a cooling rack. Be extremely careful since the cookies would be really hot and very fragile. It is very important to roll them as soon as they come out of the oven to get the sugar to coat well.
- Once the cookies have cooled down entirely, roll them again, for the second time in the powdered sugar.
Notes
- It is very important to use good quality, fresh nuts as the recipe uses quite a bit of them. The cookies take up a lot of flavor from the nuts and you want them to taste the best.
- Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as they are light golden brown.
- Roll them in powdered sugar right after they come out of the oven. Using a spoon helps as the sugar melts quite a bit when handling with fingers.
- It is essential that we roll them again in powdered sugar once the cookies cool down entirely.
Natalie says
These cookies look fantastic. Such a pretty addition to a Holiday table. I'm going to make them for sure.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks Natalie! These cookies are our favorite and I can't make enough of them.
Cara @ Street Smart Nutrition says
I love the small size on these cookies! We bake a variety of cookies during the season and these are so nice to include in a tin or box as a DIY gift. Great recipe!
sasmita says
These hazelnut cookies look so delicious. I will surely try the Mexican wedding cookies as these are egg free. Thanks for sharing the recipe which are perfect for christmas days
Jayashree says
I made these during Christmas and they are absolutely delicious and adore the beautiful look they possess.
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey says
I absolutely adore these cookies, so simple and easy to make but packed with flavours. Perfect as an edible Christmas gift.
Lathiya says
Never made these cookies yet. Your post made me want to try these ASAP. THe cookies looks delicious.
Danielle says
Ah, these are so festive looking that I am sure I could make anyone happy with this gift. They look delicious, too! 🙂
Malini says
The name of the cookie itself is very interesting. It looks gorgeous and no one can say no these beauties. You baked 600 cookies and still more to go. That's awesome. I love to bake cookies. This is on my list now. Great share!
Chef Mireille says
I made these a few weeks ago for the first time, although I did the Pecan version and even then had to reduce the quantity due to my nut allergies. Regardless, they are just as delicious and I am sure was enjoyed by one and all!
Shailender Sharma says
Oh...they look to be beautiful ice balls to me and more astonishing part is their making process and ingredients used. A magnificent recipe with regular & basic ingredients is worth appreciating.
Lata Lala says
Lovely hazelnut cookies look super yummy Sandhya. Hazelnut being my favourite, i am tempted to make it the earliest.
Lovely share.
Vandana says
These cookies look so delicious. I have never tasted Mexican wedding cooking but after reading your post, I can't wait to try them. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Mayuri Patel says
Beautiful cookies Sandhya, I wanted to bake them for Christmas but getting hazelnuts proved to a task. Booking marking your recipe to try them out when I get hazelnuts, I know even almonds or pecans can be used but love hazelnuts.Wow baking 600 cookies that's a lot.
Mina Joshi says
These look excellent and be perfect to make and give as gift during Christmas. I was so pleased to see an egg free cookie recipe.
Shobha Keshwani says
They look so delicious and easy to make too. Will try out sometime soon.